Weed measurements chart, gram to pound
Weed in Canada is weighed in grams, but the sizes people ask for still come from the ounce. Here is how they line up, with the slang you will hear and how many 0.7 g joints each size rolls, the same size as our pre-rolls:
| Size | Grams | Also called | Eighths | 0.7 g joints |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gram | 1 g | A g | 1 or 2 | |
| Eighth | 3.5 g | 8th, half quarter | 1 | 5 |
| Quarter | 7 g | Q, quarter O | 2 | 10 |
| Half ounce | 14 g | Half O, half zip | 4 | 20 |
| Ounce | 28 g | O, oz, zip | 8 | 40 |
| Quarter pound | 112 g | QP | 32 | 160 |
| Half pound | 224 g | HP | 64 | 320 |
| Pound | 448 g | P, elbow | 128 | 640 |
The joint count doubles as a rough "how long will it last" guide. At one joint a day, an eighth lasts five days and an ounce 40.
How many grams in an eighth?
An eighth is 3.5 grams, one eighth of an ounce. Strictly it is 3.54 g, but menus round it to 3.5. It is the size most people start with: enough to try a strain properly without committing to a bag that sits around.
A single gram is the sampler: one medium bud or two or three small ones, enough for a joint or two.
An eighth looks like a small handful, a few buds or more if they are small, and rolls five 0.7 g joints. Someone who smokes in the evenings now and then can make it last a couple of weeks, while a daily smoker goes through it in under a week.
Quarter and half ounce: 7 g and 14 g
A quarter is 7 grams, two eighths. You will also hear it called a Q or a quarter O. A half ounce is 14 grams, four eighths, often called a half O or a half zip.
These are the in-between sizes for anyone who smokes a few times a week. At one joint a day, a quarter lasts a week and a half and a half ounce close to three weeks. Both also start to cut the price per gram compared with buying eighths.
What does an ounce look like?
An ounce is more than most people picture: a full bag of buds, eight eighths in one go. People call it an O, an oz or a zip, and all three mean 28 g.
Airy buds take up more room than dense ones, so two ounces can look quite different, and both still weigh 28 g. Our A+ Smalls are the smaller buds from the same plants, weighed out the same way.
Past the ounce: QP, half pound and pound
A QP, or quarter pound, is 112 grams: four ounces. A half pound is 224 g and a pound is 448 g, sixteen of the rounded 28 g ounces (a true pound is 453.6 g).
Bulk sizes suit daily smokers who want the lowest price per gram, friends who split a bag, and anyone making their own edibles. Our bulk weed page lists every quarter pound, half pound and pound in one place. If you buy this much, keep it sealed in a cool, dark place and split it into smaller bags, so you open the main stash as little as possible.
Why bigger sizes cost less per gram
The bigger the size, the less each gram costs. On our AAAA flower, compared with buying one gram at a time:
- An eighth works out about 18% cheaper per gram.
- An ounce is about 38% cheaper per gram.
- A QP is about 45% cheaper.
- A pound is about 56% cheaper, less than half the single-gram rate.
Grade moves the price as well, which our guide to weed grades breaks down. If price per ounce is what matters most, our Cheap Weed page keeps AAA ounces at $99.99 or under.
How to weigh weed at home
- Use a digital pocket scale that reads to at least 0.1 g. Kitchen scales that jump in whole grams are too rough for eighths.
- Check it with a coin. A loonie from 2012 or later weighs 6.27 g (older ones are 7 g), and a recent quarter 4.4 g. If the scale is off by more than 0.1 g, recalibrate it before you weigh any flower.
- Tare the container. Put the empty bag or container on the scale, press tare so it reads zero, then add the flower. Otherwise, you are weighing the packaging too.
- Expect a little drift. Flower keeps losing a touch of moisture as it sits, so the same buds can read slightly lighter weeks later, especially if the bag is opened often.
Ready to pick a size? BC Bud runs from a gram to a pound, Cheap Weed has the budget ounces, A+ Smalls the smaller buds, and Pre-Rolls come ready-rolled at 0.7 g.